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VALDIF
Work: DOMENTOPOVLOS
Technique: Ceramic reliefs, ceramic smalt. Textured acrylic background.
Dimensions: 100 x 140 cm.
Year: 2017
Synopsis:
This work is created through automatic writing.
The artist writes three pages of information, which he later summarizes in a short text incorporated into the front of the painting.
The source who communicates with him claims to be a Greek soldier who lived during the time when Greece was a Roman province, under the Empire of Nero. He tells him about his time and circumstances, about his fathers' life and the gods, etc. He explains his performance as a soldier, how he died, and the great contradiction between his beliefs and his actions. He was secretly a Christian, but was forced to kill and wound. He asks for help. All around him is darkness; he doesn't know where he is.Following this story, Valdif creates this work. Its composition includes a cross with four planes, prompting Domentopovlos to return to his beliefs and access the 5th dimension.Months later, with the painting almost finished, the artist received another letter thanking him.
He found his way
The artwork DOMENTOPOVLOS by Valdif emerges as a deeply symbolic creation, where the strength of geometry, the subtlety of light, and the vibrant intensity of color converge in his unique visual language.
In this piece, Valdif constructs a universe where the ancestral and the contemporary engage in perfect dialogue. The composition is defined by dynamic structures and harmonious contrasts, evoking the grandeur of ancient civilizations and their enduring imprint on human memory.
The colors, masterfully orchestrated, generate an atmosphere that oscillates between the enigmatic and the transcendent, inviting the viewer to decipher a hidden, almost ritualistic message that transcends time and space.
DOMENTOPOVLOS is not merely a pictorial work, but also a testimony to Valdif’s spiritual quest: an exploration of the origin of light, the vibration of matter, and the creative energy of humankind in the face of the cosmos’ eternal mystery
Miguel F. Valdivieso — VALDIF
Painter, muralist and ceramicist
Born in Granada, Spain, 1952 — Self-taught
Miguel F. Valdivieso, artistically known as VALDIF, is a multidisciplinary creator whose work encompasses painting, murals, ceramics, and hybrid works combining relief and painting.
With a career spanning over four decades, he has developed his own techniques and has exhibited widely both in Spain and internationally.
His work is characterized by constant innovation and versatility, moving fluidly between decorative art, abstraction, surrealism, and symbolic explorations.
Artistic Development
- 1980s–1990s — Marble sand murals: Around 1980, he developed a personal technique using marble sands, producing murals and large decorative works. 1992 — Ceramic workshop: He opened his own ceramic studio, which became a turning point in his career, enabling him to create friezes and large-format ceramic pieces.
- 1992–2011 — Oriental and Arabic-inspired friezes: He produced a long series of works inspired by Andalusian and oriental decorative traditions, evolving them into new geometrical and contemporary expressions.
From 2009 — “Sculpto-paintings”: He introduced hybrid works fusing ceramic reliefs (glazed and fired) with traditional painted backgrounds, bridging the boundaries between sculpture and painting.
Themes & Style.
His works explore geometry, minerals, organic matter, esoteric and symbolic imagery, often combined with a strong decorative element that adapts well to architectural and mural formats. Some series also reflect his personal research into “psychic channeling” as part of the creative process.
Exhibitions & Projects
- First solo exhibition: Centro Artístico de Granada, 1975. Since then, he has held numerous solo and group exhibitions, and participated in international art fairs.
- He has received commissions for murals and large-scale decorative projects in hotels, halls, and buildings both in Spain and abroad, including projects in the Middle East and India.
Awards & Recognition
- Fondazione Costanza Award, Madrid, 2019Leonardo da Vinci Award, Florence, 2020.Presence
VALDIF’s works are featured in international platform such as Projects Luxury MT Andorra , and his career has been documented in specialized art magazines, catalogs, and interviews.